Oh, our poor servicemen and -women! MREs!

Oh, my LORD. Joseph had brought some MREs here when he moved--that's "meals ready to eat," in military jargon, I'm told, but knowing service folk, I know there's another acronym.

I was curious, and just had to open a package of the crackers, at least.

Oh. Lord.

SEND THESE YOUNG PEOPLE FOOD. Send cookies, crackers, anything the Armed Service will allow them to accept. Home made ANYTHING. Even Doritos, Oreos, jerky, saltines, just something. It's tough enough being away from your family at this season, hard enough putting your life on the line. But MREs, too? Don't ask that of them! Send FOOD.

Needless to say I found the crackers somewhat less than tasty. There's not enough peanut butter in the world to overcome that flavor...I thought maybe it was just because they had been sealed up for a few years, but J. says to the best of his memory, that's how they taste when fresh, too.

Now imagine the Quartermaster that managed to get 10 cases of the same meals for our advance party. Then imagine 5 days of scouting, parimeter establishment, foxhole digging, guard rotation, and patrols while having to eat the same thing three times a day. Then see my reply to Joseph. : )

No, most of that was due to the fact that I didn't really like myself then and wouldn't eat. I guess part of it may have been being unhappy with the hairbrained idea to join the Army in the first place, but I think most of it was just general personal apathy.

Military Crackers

My Lord Kathy! You zagged when you should Zigged! I am laughing my Butt off! (Thanks for the Reduction). The Crackers are a Grand Hazing routine. They are dusty with Alum. You have to have plenty of water or some Food first to enjoy the Crackers. The Hazing starts like - well - I bet you cannot eat all the crackers in your MRE without water- I bet you $20.00? Dare - Crackers- I eat them all the time without water. Ha Ha! I know of not one Soldier to have made it through the Cracker Haze!Son is over there. Captain.

K Rations and MREs

Guess I am funny! My Father spent 7 months as POW WWII. He taught us to eat our food. When the war was over a lot of the leftover K Rations were put into the Commodities, because there were few jobs. They would hand them out even to people with jobs and still prepared them for years. My GrandMother received them. The things she would not eat came to US. The Cheese came in 40lb blocks. Peanut Butter -the best ever- in 10lb cans and you had to stir It. Rolled Oats, 25lb bags, yummy! Cannot fined rolled oats like that anywhere. MREs of today are really quite tasty. When I was in the Third Adult training Camp for Nasa in Huntsville. Now, those MREs were still in dire need of help! We were treated like real trainees. It was the corn that did most people in and they went to bed hungry. It was kind of like hard weird popcorn that did not finish popping.Having never popped - and you put it in hot water, hoping to be able to chew soften Kennel corn. Also, the Men and Women - yes the wives and husbands were not allowed cohabitation. None of that up there. Not any that has been admitted to. (There are some volunteers trying smooches in the Vomit Commit). Whenever there was a sign that said no entry.We entered. The driver lost us for about 90 minutes, They were looking for us - We were playing in the pool. I thoroughly enjoyed bolting and re-bolting items. We also played with the little skin diver. We were the ones.Grand time. Just do not ever eat the crackers without some food and small bite only. I taught my Sons to eat the same food. Many of our Men and Women do just like the starving soldiers of WWII - it is different over there- but they cannot turn down a Child's curiosity for candy and food in a bag. God keep all of Us in His Hands-Thank you for my daily meal.Sherrie

I like MREs. The new ones are better than the first ones I got in '85.

My guys used to fight for the Chicken Ala King. I always just took what was left after that (being a good NCO). What I always remember was the little packs of toilet paper. We always kept a roll of tp in a coffee can in my Hummer....